Len Johnson and Rohan Connolly

AFL Round 5: Essendon v St Kilda

St Kilda has pulled off one of the upsets of the season so far, beating Essendon by 16 points at Etihad Stadium, captain Nick Riewoldt leading the way with a best-on-ground five-goal performance.

Both sides came into the match with a 2-2 record, but it was top-four fancy Essendon which was the overwhelming favourite. In terms of upsets, this one rivalled Greater Western Sydney's defeat of its cross-town rival Sydney in round one.

Few would have predicted St Kilda to be 3-2 after five rounds. Many, indeed, thought the Saints would struggle to have a positive win-loss ratio at any stage in what is billed as a re- building season. But, as so often happens in an early-season encounter, one side defied expectations, the other failed to live up to them.

On high: Saint Sean Dempster takes a big grab. Photo: Getty Images

After a slow start against Michael Hurley, Riewoldt dominated. He started and finished the second quarter with goals and started the second half with another. His only blemish - also from the Riewoldt playbook - was a miss at the start of the final term which could have booted the Saints clear earlier. As it turned out, it didn't matter.

Advertisement

St Kilda coach Alan Richardson praised what he called his side's first "22-player performance" for the season. "Given how poor we'd been against Adelaide, we were just really pleased with the way the guys responded," he said.

"To get beaten so convincingly and our effort, which has been pretty solid for us for most of our campaign so far had been down, so for the guys to respond the way they did, we were just really pleased.

"To keep them to 45 entries [inside 50] and nine goals, considering they had five on the scoreboard at quarter-time - they've got some quality forwards in [Jake] Carlisle and [Joe] Daniher. We thought [Luke] Delaney and [Josh] Bruce were really good for us. There were many one-on-ones when those blokes had to defend really strongly and they did."

Essendon coach Mark Thompson faces an imposing challenge to get his side up for Friday's Anzac Day blockbuster against Collingwood.

Heath Hocking was substituted out early in the third term after earlier having his hand examined by the club doctor, Kyle Hardingham struggled off the ground a little later in the quarter though he was able to resume and David Myers, one of the Dons' best, was having a lot of work done on his legs during the final quarter.

But Thompson admitted after the game that the Bombers weren't physically or mentally ready to play.

"Everyone probably thought we should have beaten St Kilda - I certainly did - but you need to be able to finish the job and just do it," he said. "You don't have to play your best football, you don't have to feel in the greatest shape. But you just find a way to win because that's what you need to do.

"For a couple of years now, we just don't take it up to our opposition early - we certainly didn't do it tonight."

Despite not playing all that well, the Dons had led by three goals at quarter-time, riding a little bit of luck, a bit of Leroy Jetta opportunism, some bad kicking by the Saints and by dint of two goals in the final minutes of the term.

But two quarters later, St Kilda had added seven goals, the Dons just two more. The first two goals of the final term made that nine goals to two. Late goals flattered Essendon in terms of the final margin.

Collingwood, by contrast, goes into the Anzac Day clash seemingly in great shape. After a round one thrashing at the hands of Fremantle, the Pies have steadily got better and earlier on Saturday disposed of North Melbourne by 35 points.

Ominously for Essendon, especially in view of Riewoldt's performance, Travis Cloke produced his best performance of the year breaking the game open with four goals in the first half.

The prospect of a similar performance on Anzac Day will, no doubt, be concentrating a few minds at Essendon this week.